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Good evening everyone, and welcome to another Nindie Spotlight, where we talk about our favorite Nindies and why you should play them. I’m Chelly, and this is your Nindie Spotlight – Wargroove.

Wargroove

Released in February 2019, Wargroove took the indie scene by storm. Nobody expected the incredible game that it is, especially not me. There are many reasons why you should play this game, so let me tell you why.

Wargroove is a turn-based strategy game that gives a nod to retro strategy games like Advance Wars. A game that sees a young Queen, new to the throne, thrown into a huge war. In order for her to bring peace to Aurania, she must battle many foes, traverse the continent, and most importantly, seek the aid of many allies.

Let me start off by saying that Wargroove is a huge game. Huge. There are so many ways to play and so much to do that you simply will not get bored with it. I just wanted to get that in there.

In the game’s single-player campaign, you will discover each of the 4 factions; the Cherrystone Kingdom, Heavensong Empire, Felheim Legion, and the Floran Tribes – and the stories behind them. Whether they are enemies or allies will differ faction-to-faction, but all of them are a host to some pretty intriguing characters, and that’s one thing I loved about Wargroove. The characters are so loveable with BIG personalities.

But, what do you actually do?

Players will move along a tile-based map, commanding troops, building structures that are able to spawn more troops, and generate gold, aiming to achieve a certain objective. Whether that be eliminating a certain enemy or destroying a building is different on each level. But due to the fact that you have to not only control your troops but also choose what troops to purchase and what buildings to build, you have to be very strategic and tactical.

Combat

Where Wargroove really shines is its combat. Each faction is led by a number of commanders (over 12 different ones, 3 for each faction), and each commander has its own stats and most importantly, Groove Move. Yep, each commander has a special move known as a Groove, which is activated by filling the Groove bar in battle. Each commander’s Groove offers up an ability that is incredibly helpful during battle. For example, Mercia’s Groove allows her to heal all of her allies in a specific radius by 50%, whereas Valder’s Groove allows him to raise a skeleton troop from the ground, ready to use.

Just like that of the Commanders, each unit has its own stats and movement. There are a whole host of units to purchase too, all different based on your chosen faction. Each one is better for different types of play and better for using against certain troops. Each unit’s attack is altered by its health too, so the less health your unit has, the less damage it will do. Imagine each unit has a certain number of troops, and each time that unit goes into battle, it has less and fewer troops to attack with. Naturally, you would do less damage. Get it?

There are also a few more single-player offerings like the Puzzle Mode, in which each map must be completed within 1 single turn, and finally, Arcade Mode. This is where you will take on 5 opponents in quick succession. So, already a lot of content to keep you busy. The single-player content boasts well over 50 hours alone!

Of course, as well as the single-player modes, there is also a Multiplayer mode. You can verse players in a Skirmish mode or work together in the co-op mode for up to 4 players either online or locally. Literally, any way you want to play is available.

Perhaps the best mode of all though is the Create & Share mode. Allowing players to create their own maps and scenarios with a complex editor, and then share those maps online for anyone to play through. Personally, I loved trying out other player’s creations as people are a lot more creative than I am. You can even create your own story arcs using this editor. It’s like Chucklefish has thought of absolutely everything a player would want to do in a game and put it into one great big package.

Graphics and Sound

Wargroove’s pixelated, cartoony art-style is almost breath-taking. There is so much detail. Everywhere you look, you will notice something else that you hadn’t noticed before. The shadows, mountains, light, and even the fur on your doggo commander all look incredible. During combat, the art-style shifts to a 2D side-view which showcases some impressive animations.

The same can be said about the game’s soundtrack, largely upbeat and almost empowering. Like that of a war chant, complimenting each step of this ferocious war.

Seriously, play this game. There is absolutely nothing to dislike. A game that ticks all the boxes and provides hundreds-of-hours of gameplay. With a huge, free expansion release just around the corner, there’s never been a better time to play Wargroove than now.

And that’s all folks! There is this week’s Nindie Spotlight. Join me next week for another brief look into the Nintendo Switch’s best Nindie titles. What are some of your favorite indie titles? Let us know in the comments below! Thank you for visiting SwitchWatch.co.uk, and I’ll see you all next week!